UNC Testing Patience of Former 5-Star Prospect

Not every freshman is like Caleb Wilson, who is instantly a top five player in the nation. It takes time and development over the years to get a player to their peak.

When you have a glaring issue that a freshman could fix, why wait? North Carolina’s Kyan Evans is not working out, and you have to wonder when his minutes will go elsewhere.

How long can UNC hold back Isaiah Denis?

Denis before UNC

Isaiah Denis was rated the No. 1 prospect out of North Carolina in the Class of 2025. He received offers from top programs such as Kansas, Michigan, Clemson, LSU and Florida. Denis’ mind was always set on UNC and playing in Chapel Hill.

He played his high school ball at Davidson Day, where he led his team to the 2024 NCISSA title. His senior season was cut short due to injury, but in the 19 games he played in, he averaged 16.7 points, five rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Denis over Evans

At the beginning of the season, the guard depth looked to be strong for the Tar Heels, and Denis was expected to be a project player. The whole guard depth thing has not rung true for UNC, as expected.

Freshman Luka Bogavac has had an up-and-down season, but has been putting it together as of late. The biggest disappointment is Colorado State transfer Kyan Evans. He came to UNC with a lot of hype and was projected to contribute double figures in the scoring column. Unfortunately, Evans has not lived up to expectations and is hanging on for dear life in the rotation.

With the tremendous play of freshman Derek Dixon, Evans has gone from being a starter to getting 10 minutes a game. In the last six games, Evans has made more than one field goal just one time.

When will head coach Hubert Davis give Denis a chance over Evans? Davis can just give Denis the 10 minutes that Evans is getting for a trial run. Evans is not producing much anyway, so what is the worst thing that can happen?

Denis has only played in garbage time this season. His most recent game was in the blowout win versus Notre Dame, where he played just three minutes. Maybe Davis has no intentions to play Denis regardless of the rotation, but it would be a shame if he never got a true shot this season.

The next couple of games will be intriguing to see if Davis pulls the trigger on Denis minutes. If he does not, will that affect Denis’ standing with the program next season? Nothing is off the table in the NIL era. How long can Davis hold off on Denis?

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